Poll: Chris Christie favorability falls

Gov. Chris Christie’s poll numbers have been dealt a sharp blow by the George Washington Bridge scandal, with his overall favorability dropping 19 percentage points since November, according to a new poll.

The Rutgers-Eagleton survey, released Wednesday, has Christie’s most recent favorability at 46 percent, down a full 19 percentage points from the 65 percent favorability he held leading to his November reelection.

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Grading media's Christie coverage

Despite the rash of negative press attention, a majority of New Jersey residents still approve of the governor’s job performance, with 53 percent saying they believe he is doing a good job as the state’s chief executive.

But while the new poll shows that his job performance is still viewed positively by most New Jersey residents, it is difficult not to compare the new number with his 68 percent job approval rating in November, a 15-point drop in just a few months.

Christie’s nosedive in the polls has been significantly driven by changing perceptions of him among Democrats in the state, many of whom voted for him in November. Among New Jersey Democrats, Christie’s favorability dropped 26 percentage points since the scandal, falling from 45 percent in November to just 19 percent now.

Moreover, just 29 percent of Democrats say they approve of his job performance today, compared with 51 percent in November.

The survey does have some good news for the embattled governor; despite the hit to his general favorability numbers, assessments of Christie’s performance in key areas such as his handling of the economy and taxes have not been significantly affected by the bridge controversy. And his Republican base is standing firmly beside him, with 83 percent saying they approve of Christie’s job in office and 78 percent of those surveyed responding that they feel favorably toward him.

The survey of 826 New Jersey adults was conducted Jan. 14 to Jan. 19 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.